Mapusa
Encyclopedia
Mapusa also spelt at Mapuca, Mhapsa or Mapsa is a town in North Goa
, India
. It is situated 13 km north of the capital Panaji. The town is the headquarters of Bardez
Taluka. It is located on the main highway NH-17, linking Mumbai
to Trivandrum. Under Portuguese
rule, the town's name was spelt Mapuçá.
Mapusa has a tropical climate with temperatures ranging from a high of 37 °C in summer with high levels of humidity to a low of 21 °C in winters.
, Mapusa had a population of 40,122. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Mapusa has an average literacy rate of 76%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 80%, and female literacy is 73%. In Mapusa, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Mapusa is close to one of the main centres of Goa's tourism industry. Mapusa's proximity to many beaches in the north Goa makes it a suitable base during the tourist season (November to April). Because it is a mainly commercial town (for locals) with a large resident population, Mapusa has only a limited number of hotels and accommodation.
Mapusa comes alive on Friday, the traditional market day also known as Mapusa Friday Market
. People from surrounding villages and towns come to Mapusa to sell their wares. This fair has a lot of local flavour (unlike some other tourist-oriented fairs or markets) and specialises in agricultural produce, vegetables, locally-grown fruit, spices, clothes and even plants (mainly during the monsoon planting season).
Every Friday, the Mapusa Market bulges at the seams, with seemingly every square inch of space occupied by sellers with only just enough room for the prospective buyers, the alleys between the regular stalls being occupied with temporary mats and boards. From lottery tickets displayed in great swathes to barber shops, the bazaar caters for almost every requirement imaginable. There is the fish street, dried fish of all possible varieties and whole fresh fish from baby shark and squid to the ubiquitous bangda (mackerel). Fresh fruit and vegetables are gathered together and beautifully displayed, from huge sweet potatoes, and pumpkins and the local shiny red brown Moira bananas to the tiny fresh beans and other pulses.
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It is situated 13 km north of the capital Panaji. The town is the headquarters of Bardez
Bardez
Bardez is the name of a region and taluka in North Goa. The name is credited to the Brahmin immigrants who migrated to the Konkan via Magadha in Gangetic India from Aryavarta, in the north-western part of the Indian sub-continent. Bardez or more properly Bara desh means "twelve countries"...
Taluka. It is located on the main highway NH-17, linking Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
to Trivandrum. Under Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
rule, the town's name was spelt Mapuçá.
History
Even before the Aryans, or Marathas, or Sultans or the Portuguese invaded Goa, this was an agrarian community with a well established Gaunkari or Community Farming System, where villages formed associations, worked on community land and shared profits. Market day was a major event, with goods brought in from every district to one central area. Mapusa has thus remained a prominent market center for many centuries.Geography
Mapusa is located at 15.60°N 73.82°E. It has an average elevation of 15 metres (49 feet).Mapusa has a tropical climate with temperatures ranging from a high of 37 °C in summer with high levels of humidity to a low of 21 °C in winters.
Demographics
India censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, Mapusa had a population of 40,122. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Mapusa has an average literacy rate of 76%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 80%, and female literacy is 73%. In Mapusa, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Economy
Mapusa comes alive on Friday, the traditional market day also known as Mapusa Friday Market
Mapusa Friday Market
Mapusa Friday Market is a major market in Mapusa, North Goa and a major tourist attraction.It is located outside the Mapusa Municipal Market.Friday sees most housewives from Bardez and Tiswadi descend on the stalls selling a staggering variety of local produce brought in by farmers and small...
. People from surrounding villages and towns come to Mapusa to sell their wares. This fair has a lot of local flavour (unlike some other tourist-oriented fairs or markets) and specialises in agricultural produce, vegetables, locally-grown fruit, spices, clothes and even plants (mainly during the monsoon planting season).
Every Friday, the Mapusa Market bulges at the seams, with seemingly every square inch of space occupied by sellers with only just enough room for the prospective buyers, the alleys between the regular stalls being occupied with temporary mats and boards. From lottery tickets displayed in great swathes to barber shops, the bazaar caters for almost every requirement imaginable. There is the fish street, dried fish of all possible varieties and whole fresh fish from baby shark and squid to the ubiquitous bangda (mackerel). Fresh fruit and vegetables are gathered together and beautifully displayed, from huge sweet potatoes, and pumpkins and the local shiny red brown Moira bananas to the tiny fresh beans and other pulses.
Education
Mapusa houses several prominent Goan educational institutions, including Saraswat Vidyalaya, St. Mary's Convent High School, St. Brittos, New Goa High School, St. Xavier's College, and St. Xavier's Higher Secondary School.External links
- Mapusa in the 1930s and 1940s
- A Reminiscent Tour of Mapusa Town in the 1950s - Part I by Domnic Fernandes
- A Reminiscent Tour of Mapusa Town in the 1950s - Part II by Domnic Fernandes
- Charity in Mapusa - Children Walking Tall - Children Walking TallChildren Walking TallChildren Walking Tall is a UK and India charity working for Street and Slum Children In Goa. Founded in 2004, Children Walking Tall is a registered UK charity dedicated to helping slum and street children in India. From their base in Goa, they provide food, shelter, medical care and education for...